Hickory: From The Ashes

by Stoked CTon February27, 2019

On March 31st, Hickory came out from out of the woods in Vermont for his second solo show at Stoked. We knew we were in for something special when he arrived, but what he ended up delivering was a one of a kind experience. The hype was as well deserved as it was real.

The demo kicked off around 2pm and we got off to a roaring start with the demo piece for show; a push bubbler shaped as a stump with a twig for a mouthpiece. People were in and out of the studio all day enjoying the live glass blowing and a cpl beers from the brewery. Hickory has a ton of collectors on the east coast and his work pulls in quite an audience so it was bumpin all day!

In typical fashion with a Stoked show, around the 6pm mark, the anticipation started to build. Everyone moved away from the demo and began to trickle back down in the gallery. Whatever Hickory brought was just beyond the veiled cases and it was time to see what it was. When he the sheets were pulled away everyone surged forward and in that moment… it all seemed to come into focus

To understand Hickory’s work for From The Ashes, you have to understand that this was a show with a lot of heart behind it. Hickory’s original idea was to honor all that was lost in the 2017 California wildfires. Along the way though, it seemed to transform and grow into something much bigger. The work Hickory brought to the shop was unlike anything we had seen from him before.

The bottoms on all of the rigs, sherlocks, on1e’s, and standup dry pieces were scorched black as an homage to the miles of scorched wilderness in Northern California. But from the black, the pieces grew and flourished, eventually giving way to Hickory’s signature woodtech. Then, out along the branches, he added something he’s never put on his work before.

Leaves.

Once the initial shock of the new adornments wore off, the pieces began to fly off the shelf. Because of the beautifully done UV reactive work, there were multiple UV flashlights passing through the crowd so everyone could see. Function tests were in constant rotation as excited collectors stepped up to the case and gave their favorite piece a try. All the while, Hickory himself talked through his work with fans and signed glass

While all shows here have a personal touch and Hickory is no stranger to Stoked, this is a show that will have a special place in everyone’s heart who attended. During some brief downtime, Rigsquad Mike caught up with Hickory and asked him a few questions:

Q: How long have you been blowing glass?

A: I’ve been blowing glass since 2001.

Q: Before finding your niche with nature inspired pieces what did you make?

A: I used to work with stickstack tubing making line work production spoons, batties and sherlocks.

Q: Who are some of your inspirations?

A: I was inspired by Robert Mickelson Jay Pilz, bearclaw and Jason Lee.

Q: Top 5 Festivals / Events?

A: Gathering Of the Vibes. mountain jam, Berkfest, Rothburry and most recently Melt.

Q: Favorite Weed Strain?

A: Catskill Kush.

Q: What is one thing you love about nature?

A: One thing I love about nature is it connects us to ourselves.

Q: Your dropped in the middle of the green mountain national forest, but can only carry 3 items what are they?

A: Dropped in the woods I’d bring an axe, a lighter and a wool blanket.

Q: What were some of your favorite moments from your solo show at Stoked?

A: My favorite part of the stoked show was doing the demo and seeing the enthusiasm of some of the viewers.